Minneapolis 1911 Civic Celebration - Lake Harriet Pavilion

This postcard promoting the 1911 Minneapolis Civic Celebration was mailed 100 years ago today, on June 27, 1911. It is one of a series of postcards promoting the city of Minneapolis. This one has a picture of the Lake Harriet Pavilion, "where the bands of the world give free concerts every summer." The front of the card has an invitation to the Minneapolis Civic Celebration held July 2 to 8 with "Seven Great Days of Pageants and Spectacles.'

All of the cards in this series have a reason "WHY MINNEAPOLIS CELEBRATES week of July 2 to 8" on the back. This one is Reason No. 2:

Because it has more manufacturing, giving steady employment in proportion to population than other cities, there beeing over 1,000 manufacturing concerns in 137 lines of industry, with 20,000 skilled laborers on payrolls that aggregate $15,000,000 annually; capital, $80,000,000.

A June 12, 1911 article in the Minneapolis Tribune, "Greatness of Minneapolis Told in a Series of Pretty Post Cards" about these postcards gave a list of 22 reasons why Minneapolis was celebrating. The article reported that

Pictorial postcards, giving Minneapolis scenes are being mailed by the thousands. Many business firms, the real estate board and individuals have ordered the cards in large numbers. The Civic celebration committee also offers to provide them to those who will make application at headquarters 214 Plymouth building. This post card advertising has been found effective in other cities that have tried it. The Civic celebration post cards are arranged in a follow-up series and each card specifically mentions some particular reason why Minneapolis celebrates.

Some of the postcards also had advertising imprinted on the back. This one has a picture of the L. S. Donaldson Co., Glass Block Store. Dolly wrote on the front of this card, "Mother I am at Donaldsons.

Although there are 22 reasons, there are fewer cards in this series. I have ten and have heard there are fourteen. You can see the other Minneapolis 1911 Civic Celebration postcards I have here.